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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Catherine Redford’s new Quiting Arts Workshop – review and give-away

Catherine Redford, fiber artist, teacher and machine quilter extraordinaire, has a new Quilting Arts Workshop out on DVD and digital download. It’s called “Modern Machine Quilting: Free Motion Stipples, Swirls, Feathers and More!” It follows on the heels of her excellent first Workshop, “Modern Machine Quilting: Straight Lines, Spirals, Serpentines, and More!” that I reviewed in December 2015 here.

Catherine is a co-founder of the Naperville (Illinois) Modern Quilt Guild, and she’s an award winning quilter. She’s been a guest on Quilting Arts TV several times, which is where I first met her.

With Catherine on the set of QATV, Series 1400, in 2014

In this Workshop, Catherine starts out with the basics: how to choose batting, thread, needles and presser feet; how to press (she sometimes presses seams open to achieve a flatter look); and how to pin baste in preparation for quilting.

Even though I’m an experienced free-motion quilter (I have my own recently released Quilting Arts Workshop on free-motion fillers), I learned a lot from Catherine by watching this Workshop.

She explains why she prefers an open-toe darning foot for her free-motion quilting (she says she can see better where she is going). I use a closed metal circle (Bernina foot #15). But if she has hand stitching or embroidery on a quilt, she uses a closed-toe foot so she won’t snag her stitching. She prefers a single-hole throat plate when she quilts, because it does not allow the fabric to be pulled down into the larger opening on a regular throat plate, which results in a nicer stitch.

While this Workshop focuses on free-motion stitches using a darning foot, Catherine often notes that she uses a combination of quilting lines made with her walking foot and motifs made using a free-motion darning foot in the same quilt. If it’s easier to get straight lines (or mildly curving lines) with the walking foot, then do it. These lines can provide the structure for the rest of the quilting. Then put on the darning foot and fill in between those lines.

She usually starts out by drawing or doodling her motifs on paper, before stitching them. She relies on “muscle memories” build during this drawing practice to help her when she starts quilting her quilt. I found her explanation of her stitches as she drew them on paper very illuminating. By both drawing and stitching the motifs, Catherine reinforces how to create the designs.

During this 77-minute long Workshop, Catherine demonstrates 26 different motifs, including great patterns to define areas, fill white (empty) space, and highlight borders. There are some beautiful new-to-me motifs that I’ll be adding to my repertoire!

Want to buy?You can purchase the DVD ($24.99) or digital download ($19.99) on the Quilting Daily Shop.

Win this Workshop on DVD!For a chance to win Catherine’s DVD, head over to Catherine’swebsite and leave a comment there. At the end of the blog hop, she’ll pick two DVD winners,
and one grand prize winner, who will receive a DVD and a Stella task lamp.

Really want to boost your free-motion skills? For an additional chance to win Catherine’s DVD, plus my new Workshop DVD, leave a comment on this postby
noon (Eastern Time) Sunday, Jan. 17. (U.S. residents only, please). Tell me why you want to win. I’ll choose one winner at random. If your comment does not appear right away, don’t worry, and don’t leave additional comments, please. I have to moderate comments, because I was getting tons of Japanese porn spam, and I know you don't want to see that in the comments section! ;-)

UPDATE: We have a winner! Sewgirl has won my give-away. Thanks!

For a chance to win my Workshop DVD and Catherine’s, leave a comment on this blog post.

63 comments:

"I would love to win theses videos. I do my own quilting and am always looking for new ideas and inspiration. Being disabled and unable to take classes, books and videos are the only access I have to information. I never miss an episode of QA on TV either. Thanks for all you gals do in getting quality programs and videos to us.

I absolutely love your work and creativity. Everything is so lifelike and colorful. I know the quilting video will be wonderful too. Do you have or will you ever do one on the painting? Thanks for the opportunity to win!

Yes, I have a Quilting Arts Workshop DVD/download on my wholecloth painting technique! It's called "Dynamic Quilt Design: Paint Meets Stitch." You can read about it here: http://www.bluemoonriver.com/shop.html

This is my year to learn to machine quilt, you have inspired me and with the help of this DVD I could watch and learn. Thanks so much. I have a quilt ready to try, I don't want fear to hold me back for to long.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about Catherine's DVD, they were very interesting. I would love to win a copy of your DVD as I have decided to try do my own quilting...I can use all the guidance I can get.

Last year I finished two W.I.P.s by having them long-arm quilted. This year I'd like to do the quilting and would appreciate all the help two DVDs would give me. Thank you for the opportunity! Kris - kris@mjfbiz.com

It's good to see different instructors present their FMQ skills. Even though the same skills are presented, sometimes it just 'clicks' when a particular person explains how to do things. Thanks for the chance to win the DVD.

Susan, you have such a beautiful collection in your portfolio! I wish we still could get Quilting Arts here in Maine on Public Television--we used to :) What a wonderful giveaway--2 great teachers at our fingertips--thanks so much!

I do a lot of free motion quilting and I am always looking for great tips! I'm more of an art quilter, than a modern quilter, but I like the look of modern quilts and am planning to give that approach a try! Thanks for the opportunity to win!

I keep telling myself this is the year I'll be good enough to trust my free motion quilting. Several years and lots of un-stitching later I'm not there yet, but I'll keep practicing! The DVDs would be a big help!

I have enjoyed visiting and hearing all the wonderful comments on the DVD's. The DVD would move me forward to finish the pile of unquilted tops I have. This would be the guide I need to get me started.

I took a class from Catherine at the Houston show. She's great and I would love her DVD. what a treat to have the chance to win yours also! I quilt most of my own quilts with straight lines, would love to try some free motion. My email address is colemansharon@me.com

Wow, a chance to win two quilting DVDS, that's fabulous. I am always in a quandary as to what to quilt, once the top is done...the dvd's look like they would be a great resource. Thanks for sharing the giveaway!

One of my goals for 2016 is to improve my free motion quilting skills by practicing and quilting several of my many quilt tops into completed quilts. Both DVDs would be helpful towards my goal. Thank you for the opportunity to win!

Wow, Susan, if you learned lots from Catherine's DVD, then it's going to be an outstanding DVD for me!! Just following this hop has given me some excellent ideas and I can't wait to get started. Thanks for a chance to win both yours and Catherine's DVDs. Yippee!

Thank you for offering the give away :) Using your workshop DVD and also Catherine's will help me with my creativity and confidence! I am always hesitant when quilting small and large spaces because I wonder if the design will work in the space and if the final results will enhance the project. I know the excellent info that is given on the DVDs will help me with my skills.

I would love to have both of these DVDs! I've just been quilting for about a year and a half and I'm gaining confidence with each project I finish. I still have so much to learn, especially with FMQ! I love watching your show and have picked up lots of good ideas! I'd love to be the one who wins,, thanks for the opportunity!cathylouwilson@gmail.com